


Shards in the Nexus: RWBY

by Dimensional_Nexus



Series: Shards in the Nexus [2]
Category: Persona Series, RWBY
Genre: Crossover, F/F, F/M, Incomplete ideas given a home
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 15:44:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16936056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dimensional_Nexus/pseuds/Dimensional_Nexus
Summary: A collection of ideas that haven't been fully fleshed out but I wanted to put down. Descriptions in the summary are for the idea as a whole. Each chapter is a single scene/chapter, occasionally with a tease for the larger story.Ch. 1: Armor of the Heart (Persona AU): Something was seriously wrong in Vale, and they were the only ones with the power to stop it.





	Shards in the Nexus: RWBY

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm starting another WIP collection, because I have the urge to write, but no idea how to continue my multi-chapter fics and stressing about that kept me from writing at all. This was written like pre/during-Volume 3, so I had no idea how to write Taiyang (Here, he's based a little on Ryotaro Dojima from Persona 4) but I liked it a lot after rediscovering it and it's a major AU/crossover, anyway, so fuck it. I drew a lot from P4 when I imagined this initially, but I think a little *cough* okay, a bit of P5 style crept in during editing.

"When was she supposed to be here again?" Yang asked her Dad, a slight whine to her voice that betrayed how long the blonde duo had been waiting. They were currently sitting in the Arrivals area of Vale's main airship station, and had been sitting in the same place for nearly an hour.

 

"I talked to the ticket agent, the airship hit some turbulence and was delayed a bit. Ruby will be here in no time. Don't worry, Yang," Taiyang reassured his eldest daughter, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Running the other hand through his short hair, he found himself wishing that Ruby's homecoming was under better circumstances. His dark thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the airship they'd been waiting for. Yang leapt up and dashed forward, Taiyang following at a more sedate pace. A few moments later, his youngest stepped off the ship and he found himself holding back the urge to run forward and scoop her into his arms. He'd never seen her so subdued, the face he'd be hard pressed to remember without a bright grin was carefully neutral, her shoulders sagging, her every movement sapping what strength she had. Yang immediately pulled the younger girl into a tight hug and he could see Ruby struggling not to break down in her big sister's arms.

 

"Hey, sis," Yang whispered to her, a sad smile on her face as she released the smaller girl.

 

"Hi, Yang, Dad," she muttered, her voice slightly hoarse.

 

"It's good to see you, Ruby," Taiyang said, pulling her into a much gentler embrace. In her father's arms, Ruby couldn't hold the tears back anymore and clung to him like he'd disappear, quietly sobbing into his shoulder. He scooped her up and motioned for Yang to grab her bag. They quickly retreated from the station, Yang glaring daggers at anyone who even glanced at them. Twenty minutes later, they were walking into Taiyang's small but cozy home in downtown Vale, Ruby walking under her own power now, but leaning as heavily on Yang as she had on the drive over.

 

"I think I just wanna get some rest," Ruby told her Dad, and he nodded, giving her another hug and a kiss on the forehead.

 

"I'll be down here, going over some files from work if you need me," he assured her.

 

"C'mon, Rubes, your room's just like ya left it," Yang said, steering the small girl towards the stairs. In the room, Yang tossed Ruby's bag on a chair and jumped onto the bed, waiting for Ruby to lay next to her before pulling the girl into another hug. "I'm here for you if you need me, sis."

 

"Could you stay?"

 

"Sure thing," she replied, kicking off her shoes before hitting the light and wrapping arms around her little sister again. "Anything you need."

 

"Thanks, Yang."

 

* * *

 

Downstairs, Taiyang was going through files and cases that needed his attention tomorrow, but couldn't stop his thoughts from turning to his youngest daughter and the mother she'd lost. 

 

It had been hard on all of them, Summer working in Atlas most of the year, but they'd made it work. Summer and Ruby would come home for a month or two during the summer and occasionally for little visits on weekends, not to mention the near constant phone calls, text messages, and video chats. It had never entered either of their minds that one of them might leave one of their children alone a country away from the rest of their family. Maybe that had been foolish of them, but there was nothing to be done for it now. Ruby had gotten a great chance to nurture her brilliant mind at an exclusive private school in Atlas, and Summer's co-workers at Schnee Dust had taught the young girl even more. It was that opportunity for their daughter that had ultimately led to Summer agreeing to the position at the SDC's R&D department in Atlas. The higher pay and better benefits a nice draw, as well. 

 

It had been a godsend that Qrow was in Atlas, having a day out with his niece, when news had reached them of the White Fang attack on Summer's lab. His wife had risked her life to get as many of her co-workers to safety as possible, and it had cost her. The chemicals and smoke in the air had been too much even through a mask, and she'd been declared D.O.A. at the hospital. That had only been a week ago. Summer's body had been sent home and her funeral had been only days ago. Ruby had refused to come, denying with all she had that her mother was really gone. It had taken Qrow the whole week to get Ruby to agree to come home, the girl nearly catatonic with grief. 

 

She was here now, though, and Taiyang felt a weight lift from him knowing both his daughters were upstairs, safe and sound. With that weight gone, though, he felt the grief finally start to sink in, truly able to just let go now that Ruby was home. He cried himself to sleep on the couch in the living room, the files that had been in his lap scattering across the floor as he fell onto his side against the armrest.

 

* * *

 

The first week or so of Ruby being home was hard on everyone, her presence serving as a reminder of the circumstances of her return to Vale. Ruby stayed in her room, quiet most of the time, with Yang and Taiyang checking on her or bringing food periodically. On Saturday afternoon, the weekend before the school year officially started, Taiyang all but threw his eldest out of the house to take some time for herself and hang out with her friends. Yang had definitely inherited his overprotective streak; the older girl had been camped in or just outside Ruby's room since she'd come home. Her absence also, thankfully, gave him a chance to talk to Ruby alone.

 

"Ruby, mind if I come in?" he asked through the door after knocking quietly.

 

"Sure, Dad," she replied, her voice still slightly hoarse from crying. He opened the door and found her in her armchair next to the window, book in hand.

 

"Reading some of the books you left here?" he asked with a smile, kneeling next to her chair.

 

"Yeah, I'd forgotten some of the stuff I left packed in the closet here, we were doing everything but staying in the house when Mom and I visited."

 

"True, Summer was determined to show you girls just about every inch of the city." His smile was fond, but tinged with melancholy.

 

"Yeah...so what's up, Dad?"

 

"I just wanted to talk to you for a sec. School's starting up on Monday and I talked to the principal when I went to go get all the paperwork straightened out. He said it'd be perfectly fine if you needed more time. I told him I'd discuss it with you."

 

"I don't know. One minute, it seems like I'm doing just fine, that I'm ready to move on, but then I'll break down and feel like the world's ended and I can barely function."

 

"That's perfectly normal, kiddo. Yang and I have been going through the same thing, we're just better at hiding it is all. It will take time, and no one's trying to rush you, remember that."

 

"I know. I've just barely been able to accept that she's really gone. I think, more than time, I need a distraction, to not dwell on it quite so much. Tell the principal I'll be there on Monday, and maybe we can get out of the house in the meantime?"

 

"Sure thing, Ruby, let me make that call and we'll go try and have some fun until I need to head into the station."

 

* * *

 

Bright and early Monday morning, Ruby was sitting at the dining room table, munching on some cereal as she waited for Yang to get ready. The rest of the weekend had seen the three of them out on the town, distracting themselves and remembering all the good times they'd had with Summer in Vale. It had been a welcome change, and like Ruby had thought, it had dulled the pain somewhat. The wound was still raw, but it was healing and there was no better balm than her two favorite blondes in Ruby's opinion.

 

Yang's hard landing after jumping the last five or so stairs broke Ruby from her reverie and she looked up at the smiling face of her big sis.

 

"Well, Rubes, ready for your first day among us public school peasants?" she asked, grin becoming slightly teasing.

 

"If I actually have to touch any of you, I might burst into flames, but, other than that, I think I'll be fine," she shot back, turning her nose up haughtily and immediately ruining the effect by shoving another spoonful of sugary cereal in her mouth.

 

"If Her Highness wishes it, I will be more than happy to keep the filthy rabble away," Yang joked back, overjoyed that Ruby was actually participating in the banter.

 

"That would please Us immensely."

 

This time Ruby followed her snobby statement by loudly slurping the remaining milk from her bowl and tossing it noisily into the sink. Laughing at her antics, Yang led the way out of the house, locking it behind them and showing Ruby the path to the local high school. Halfway there, they were met by a cheerful redhead and a quiet boy with black hair, a streak of it dyed pink.

 

"Yang! Person-I-don't-know!" the redhead greeted cheerfully, hugging the both of them.

 

"Hey, Nora, Ren! This is Ruby Rose, my little sister," Yang introduced as Ruby awkwardly returned the hug. Ren just nodded and Ruby waved back.

 

"Cool, what grade are you starting today?" Nora asked enthusiastically. Ruby got the feeling that was how Nora did everything, though, watching her rock back and forth on her feet.

 

"Twelfth, I'm a Senior like my sister."

 

"Oh, so not a little sister by much then."

 

"Nope, two years. I'm 16."

 

"You must be like, super-duper brainy, then!"

 

"She'll deny it, but my little Ruby is definitely one smart cookie," Yang replied for her, pulling Ruby into a one-armed hug and ruffling her hair. Ruby grumbled, throwing Yang's arm off as the older sister laughed.

 

"Hey, guys, wait up!" a voice from behind called. Ruby turned and saw a blonde boy and another girl with red hair longer than Nora's running up behind them.

 

"It's Jaune and Pyrrha! The totally-not-a-couple!" Nora informed Ruby loudly, stage whispering the second sentence and grinning wider when the newcomers blushed.

 

"Nora, I told you to stop saying that," Jaune pleaded.

 

"Nora," Ren said, and they locked eyes. Nora immediately calmed a bit, the smile never leaving her face but her behavior markedly less boisterous. Ruby mused that they must have known each other for quite some time to be able to talk without talking like that. Ren hadn't been scolding her, merely conveying that they'd had enough without needing to put it into words.

 

The rest of the walk to school was a similarly upbeat affair, Yang's friends happy to meet their friend's elusive little sister and incorporate her into the group dynamic. Ruby caught on fairly quick. Nora was loud and excited all the time but had no filter, Ren was quiet but his contributions always cut to the heart of the matter and he was glad to help reign Nora in a little bit. Pyrrha was probably one of the kindest people Ruby had ever met and quite intelligent, while Jaune was enthusiastic but had a penchant for putting his foot in his mouth, which was where Pyrrha's compassionate patience shone most clearly. Ruby could easily see where Nora's totally-not-a-couple tease had come from. 

 

Soon enough, they had arrived at Downtown Vale High and made their way to their homeroom on the second floor, where Ruby took an empty seat next to Nora and behind Yang. Their homeroom teacher, a rather severe woman by the name of Goodwitch, arrived not long after that, and introduced Ruby to the rest of the class. The attention focused on her put Ruby right back in the shell everyone had slowly been working her out of, and when she sat back down, Yang quickly reached a hand back for Ruby to take. She gave it a squeeze and whispered to Yang that she'd be fine. Her sister shot her a skeptical look over her shoulder, but couldn't say anything as the teacher started her beginning of the year announcements. 

 

* * *

 

The rest of the day seemed to fly past for Ruby, classes boring her and lunch serving as the only other time she'd had to really socialize until after school. Halfway home, though, Ruby noticed the rest of the group turning away from the route they'd walked that morning.

 

"Where are you guys headed?" she asked.

 

"Oh, sorry, sis, I totally forgot to ask you. I guess I just assumed you'd be coming with. We're going to meet up with a few friends who graduated last year at this awesome little restaurant closer to the center of town," Yang informed her. "You up for it?"

 

Ruby thought about it for a second, but decided she really just wanted to head home for a nap, being sociable and paying attention in class had been exhausting, "Nah, I'm good, I'm just gonna head back home and crash."

 

"Okey-doke," she turned to the rest of the group, "I'm gonna walk Rubes home and meet up with you guys in a bit, ok?" They all nodded and Yang turned to follow Ruby.

 

"I'm fine, sis, you go on and hang out with everyone."

 

"Ruby, it's no big. I'll be late by, like, ten minutes."

 

"Really, it's fine. I'm just gonna walk straight home and take a nap."

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"Yes, ya big dope, now go on, have fun," she insisted, poking Yang in the nose. She turned to the rest of the group to find that they had been watching with no small amount of amusement. She grinned and bid them farewell before starting back on the path home.

 

She was walking past a small park down the street from their house when an odd sensation began prickling at the back of her mind. Looking around, she noticed a girl staring at her from near the small pond in the center of the park. Her bright, orange eyes meeting Ruby's with an intensity that was, frankly, extremely uncomfortable. Nonetheless, she felt a strange sort of pull towards the other girl, and decided to get to the bottom of the situation.

 

"Any particular reason you're staring at me?" she asked forcefully, standing a good distance away.

 

"Apologies, you remind me of someone I once knew. I didn't mean to startle you," she responded, her voice quiet with a note of sorrow.

 

"Oh? Apology accepted and sorry if I was a little aggressive, it's been one hell of a week."

 

"I understand the sentiment, I've been quite out of sorts myself, lately. Oh, where are my manners? My name is Cindy, and I reiterate my sincerest apologies," she extended a hand, a contrite look on her face. Ruby stepped forward to introduce herself but the second their hands met, she felt pain lance through her chest and collapsed against the other girl. She felt breath on her ear and terror joined the pain. "Peace, Ruby Rose, I mean you no harm. I simply needed to give you something."

 

"W-what are you t-talking about?" Ruby forced out through pained breaths, only to fall to her knees as Cindy vanished. The pain fading slightly, she looked up and saw her on the other side of the small pond. 

 

Cindy smiled enigmatically, her voice echoing through Ruby's mind, "Let's hope you are stronger than I was." With that final, ominous statement, she slowly faded away once more, no one else in the park even acknowledging she'd been there.

 

Ruby sat there on her knees for another ten minutes, hand resting on her chest as she wondered what in the hell had just happened. She was jerked back to reality by a hand landing on her shoulder, slowly realizing someone was talking to her. She looked up to see a girl about her sister's age, with long, black hair and golden eyes, a bow sitting atop her head. "W-what?"

 

"I asked if you were alright? I was heading to work and noticed you sitting on the ground, looking worse for wear," she asked, obviously concerned.

 

"I'm fine, just a little tired, I guess. Thanks for stopping."

 

"Of course. Here, let me help you up," she replied, holding out a hand. Ruby gave it a wary look but eventually took it, letting herself be hoisted to her feet. "I'm glad you're alright. I'm Blake, by the way, Blake Belladonna."

 

"Ruby Rose. It was really nice of you to check on me, but I'm fine. Just took a detour through the park on my way home for a nap."

 

"Looks like you probably need it. Would you like me to walk with you? Make sure you don't fall again?"

 

"I think I'll be okay," Ruby replied, waving her off. Not two steps away, she wobbled and nearly took a tumble before Blake caught her. "What I meant say was: Blake, you're the nicest person ever and my house is just down the street."

 

Blake chuckled, "Thanks, and it's really no trouble."

 

Blake took Ruby's backpack and slung it over one shoulder, Ruby leaning on the other and steering them in the direction of her house. Once they were standing on the doorstep, Ruby unlocked the door and turned to Blake, "Thanks again, I'm good from here."

 

"If you think so," Blake said, eyeing Ruby dubiously, but returning her backpack, regardless. "Take care, Ruby, I don't want to see you sitting on the ground when I'm on my way to work again, alright?"

 

"Sure thing, and I hope I see you around, Blake, you're one of a kind." Ruby smiled brightly at the older girl, who waved as she walked away. As soon as the door was shut and locked, Ruby tossed her bag on the table and collapsed on the couch, asleep before she even hit the cushions. Her dreams were strange, dominated by dark shadows and crimson skies, with the occasional flash of bright blue.

 

* * *

 

The rest of the week passed peacefully. She even eventually joined her sister and their friends at the small Faunus-owned deli they frequented downtown, only to have the surprise of her life when she looked up from her menu to see Blake with a little notepad waiting on their orders. They'd just kind of stared at each other for a second before laughing and greeting one another. After they'd calmed down, Ruby explained to the rest of the confused group that she and Blake had literally run into each other in the park back on her first day. Thankfully, Blake had taken the white lie in stride, taking her aside later to let her know that she would follow Ruby's lead unless she thought the younger girl was in trouble. She had also gotten the rare privilege to see her sister on the receving end of the teasing for a change, her massive crush on the dark-haired waitress fairly obvious.

 

All in all, things were going great and she had managed not to break down again, focusing on happy memories of her Mom and trying desperately not to slip into more gloomy thoughts. It wasn't until Saturday rolled around again that things took yet another turn for the weird. 

 

Yang dragged Ruby out to walk around her favorite outdoor mall, and they were happily eating ice cream and playfully bickering when they caught sight of someone Ruby had been actively avoiding throughout the week. That someone was Weiss Schnee, and what she was doing in Vale much less in public school Ruby didn't know. What she did know was that the snowy-haired girl was heiress to the company her mother had worked for and a walking reminder of how she had died. It wasn't fair to Weiss, and she had been trying to overcome that mental hurdle as best she could. Her unexpected reunion with Blake yesterday and a great time out and about with her sister had her feeling confident enough to try and make it up to her, though. So, she gathered her courage and made to try and catch up to Weiss, who was walking at a brisk pace ahead of them, pointedly ignoring the occasional stare and whisper as she passed.

 

"Whoa, what's the rush, Ruby?"

 

"I've been avoiding Weiss, and making friends with everyone else except Cardin and his flunkies, time to fix that," she replied, motioning to the girl in front of them.

 

"She's a bit Ice Queen-y, you sure you want to?"

 

"I've been trying my best to get to know everyone  _but_  her, she's a smart girl and I'm sure she's noticed. At the very least, she deserves an explanation..." Ruby trailed off as they rounded the corner Weiss had just turned. On the ground in front of them was the pile of books that Weiss had been carrying but the girl herself was nowhere to be found.

 

"Well, that's weird," Yang commented looking around. "Maybe she's avoiding you, too."

 

"I don't think so," Ruby replied, her gaze roaming the area. There was no sign of Weiss at all, however.

 

Yang bit her lip, a worried look in her eyes, "This could be bad, this kinda thing's been happening all over the city."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Haven't been watching the news, I take it?" When Ruby shook her head, she elaborated, "Well, apparently, people have been up and disappearing all over town. Sometimes they'd leave stuff behind, just like this."

 

"Well then, we've got to find her, she can't have gone far..." Ruby trailed off again as she noticed something odd, a strange shimmer to the window of a small restaurant in front of Weiss' discarded books. She could see dark shapes moving in it that had nothing to do with the people inside. Acting on some surge of instinct, she reached out and poked the window, starting when it shattered. Yang and Ruby stared in shock as pieces of the window remained floating in the frame, suspended in a pitch black void.

 

"Ruby, what the hell did you do?" Yang asked, looking around, even more freaked out when she noticed that no one else seemed to notice the broken window.

 

"I don't know," she replied, poking a piece of floating glass only to have her arm sucked into the empty space between fragments. "Yang!"

 

"Ruby!" Yang grabbed her other hand and started to pull, trying to free her sister from whatever had ahold of her. Unfortunately, just as the glass shards were pulled into the void beneath them, so too were Yang and Ruby. After they vanished into the abyss, the window reformed like nothing had ever happened, the only evidence the sisters had ever been there a pair of discarded ice cream cones next to Weiss's books.

 

After the strangest sensation of somehow falling sideways, the sisters were ejected out of the same window and into a vastly different Vale. The sky was a deep, bloody crimson, full of billowing black clouds. The buildings around them were all dilapidated and overgrown with thick, red vines. In the distance a massive tower pierced the sky, and just looking at it filled the girls with a sense of dread. In fact, the very air around them seemed stifling, oppressive.

 

"What the hell just happened, Ruby?" Yang muttered, looking around with wide eyes.

 

"I don't know, but I think we can safely assume we found out how all those people 'disappeared'," she replied, moving closer to her sister. She was about to turn back and inspect the window they'd come through when a cry for help echoed around them. She looked at Yang and they both nodded, taking off in the direction they'd heard the scream. After a few blocks, they turned a corner to find Weiss being chased by something...multiple somethings. Masses of formless darkness gathered around a simple, white mask. Yang and Ruby both froze at the sight, the latter's gasp attracting the attention of one of the monsters. It signalled to the rest with an odd, warbling wail, and they split up, two barreling towards the sisters while the remaining three kept after Weiss. Yang grabbed Ruby's hand and practically dragged her into a sprint. "Yang, we can't leave Weiss!"

 

"Wasn't planning on it, sis, we'll take the roundabout way, meet up with her, and high-tail it back to the freaky window."

 

Ruby nodded and they took off down the street, taking the first turn they could back towards Weiss, nearly colliding with her as she ran past.

 

"Yang, Ruby, where did you come from? Where are we?" she asked, panting heavily.

 

"Your guess is as good as ours, Princess," Yang replied, "the important thing is getting out of here."

 

"The window we came in through is our best bet." Ruby looked over her shoulder, "As fast as possible, these things don't look friendly."

 

Yang led them as best she could remember back towards where they'd come from. They were almost there when another group of monsters blocked their path, prompting a hasty turn right into a dead end, the wide street ahead of them covered in a tangled mass of the same red tendrils that seemed determind to strangle the whole city. Yang immediately pushed the other girls behind her, baring her teeth at the creatures boxing them in. No way in hell was she letting anything happen to Ruby or Weiss without a fight. 

 

With a loud  _crack_  the masks the creatures bore shattered, the remains pushing forward and seeming almost to pull the shadow into shape. The masks reformed into crude facsimiles of a wolf's snout, the bodies following suit to form the rest, glowing red lines shot through in chaotic patterns. Finally, cold yellow filled in the skull-like eye sockets and the largest of the pack howled, the rest following suit. A snarl the only warning, the alpha leapt forward. Yang pushed the other girls back roughly and braced herself as best she could. It tackled her to the ground, fangs sinking into her forearm.

 

"Yang!" Ruby called, starting towards her sister when everything froze around her. Weiss stuck in the middle of a lunge forward next to her, Yang halfway through a punch aimed at the alpha's mask, the rest of the pack still as stone. She felt something, like a spring steadily winding in her chest, tension building and building, making her collapse to her knees.

 

**"I am thou..."**  a voice echoed in her mind, powerful and sure, sounding almost like her own.

 

**"Thou art I..."**  a cyclone of bright, blue energy formed with her at its eye.

 

**"Into this sea of darkness, we shall shine a light."**  The spring wound tighter, but she found the will to stand as time resumed. The alpha released Yang, all of its attention now on Ruby. Yang and Weiss were both confused and a little awestruck at the sheer power flowing from the younger girl, and when she looked up, they both gasped. Ruby's usually pale grey eyes were now a shining silver.

 

**"I emerge from the sea of thy soul, that we might rend this shadow!"**  In front of Ruby, a card appeared, one side imprinted with a stylized mask at the center of a rose, the other bearing the image of a lone figure walking into the distance, a large zero in the lower corner. The alpha bellowed a challenge, and only one response came to Ruby's mind...

 

"Per...so...na!"


End file.
